JunYong Park 'had PTSD' in split decision reading vs. Brad Tavares: 'I thought I won on all the scorecards'

LAS VEGAS – For just a few seconds, Junyong Park thought he found himself on the wrong side of a split decision, again.

“The Iron Turtle” picked up a split decision win over veteran Brad Tavares in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 244. When the judges’ scorecards were being read, Park (18-6 MMA, 8-3 UFC) who for many had clearly beaten Tavares (20-10 MMA, 15-10 UFC) in two rounds, feared the worst.

“Last time, I obviously lost by split decision and that set me back a little bit – it broke the streak,” Park told MMA Junkie at the UFC Fight Night 244 post-fight news conference. “As they were reading the scores, and they said it was split decision, I slightly had PTSD about the last time I lost by split decision. I was a little worried. But really thinking about it, I thought I won on all the scorecards.”

Park is 5-1 in his past six outings, with the lone loss being a split decision loss to Brazil’s Andre Muniz back in December. Entering UFC Fight Night 244 off a defeat, Park assures that his confidence was not rattled, even though he got rattled in the first few seconds of the fight.

“It wasn’t really a confidence thing,” Park said. “I was just unfocused for the first minute, minute and a half, and I got caught with a 2 and it led to a flash knockdown. There was no damage to it, but that actually kind of helped me because I refocused, and I kept that focus through the rest of the fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.